Keeping dog happy and entertained in crate/pen without involving food/treats all the time - any ideas please?

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Doggo is confined to a crate/pen 24/7 for the next few weeks.

One week in and she’s bored, climbing the walls, full of energy and fit to burst.

I really don’t want her to gain weight as moving forward, we have to be very, very careful to keep her on the light side, and every suggestion of ways to amuse them while on crate rest seems to involve food and treats. She has a Kong, a lick mat and I bought her one of those fleecy mats that you can hide treats in, but I don’t want to resort to food based amusement all the time.

We spend a lot of time sitting in her pen with her, we’ve been doing lots of trick-type training (high-fives, booping with her nose - stuff that doesn’t involve too much excitement or movement). I hung all her toys up on the side of her pen the other night and she amused herself for half an hour pulling them all down while I hung them back up.

Shes allowed out for 3 x 5 minute walks a day, so she’s gets a good sniff around the garden or down the street - however, she gets very excited and jumpy/pully when we’re outside so we have to be a little bit careful with walks.

She’s so sad though and my imagination has let me down (and my back is fucked from spending half my life sitting in her pen with her) so any suggestions would be gratefully received.

The vet has given us meds to help take the edge off a bit, but she’s still suffering.

Thank you!

I would just use her daily allowance spread throughout the day to keep her busy. I guess you're probably doing that already but there's not really much eke you can do that doesn't involve food really 😔

Totally agree just use her daily food allowance for interest throughout the day rather than at meal times.

Also think of changing the rooms she is in. Can she sit beside you on a lead if you are chilling watching tv for example.

I had a crate in my car so also took my dog in a similar position out for drives and let them sit and watch the world go by in a still car from the crate. No idea why but they came back almost as tired as if they had had a walk

Sleep will help them heal so do encourage a lot of down time - they will and do get used to it. The end of the first week and into the second week were the hardest as they are beginning to feel better but not used to the new routine.

This too will pass helps you get through it a bit.

Thank you!

Yes, we use her daily food allowance spread out through the day.

I give her her dinner in her snuffle mat and stuff like that.

She’s on meds 3 times a day that she needs to take with food, plus others that she won’t take unless they’re wrapped in ham

I have discovered today that she likes frozen peas and blueberries though.

We’ve been told 6-8 weeks, so here’s hoping it’s 6 and not 8 🤞

Thank you!

She comes from room to room with us.

Unfortunately she refused to go in a crate, so she’s got a pen which we move upstairs with us at night, DH has one at work as she goes in with him during the day. We sit in it with her when we’re chilling watching TV in the evening, I put it outside for her while I’m pottering in the garden and watering plants, and stuff like that.

Moving it is a 2 man job though, someone to hold her while the other one moves the pen - our house is totally open plan downstairs so nowhere to shut her while we move it where she can’t jump up on stuff

She soon learned how to nudge it and move it where she wants to go though 😂

She comes in the car with us, but it needs 2 of us as she won’t go in the crate and I don’t trust her not to jump on and off the seat.

We’re just at the start of week 2 and she’s definitely found the last day or so harder so fingers crossed she gets used to it a bit more. She’s a super active springer spaniel so it’s been fun - not!

I’m hoping the cone can go in the next couple of weeks and she’ll be a bit happier - as will my shins!

Thanks!

If she likes frozen peas, how about just freezing some water in a small bowl/ kong?

Hi there - hope you are both doing ok! I have a busy spanner and so I hear you!

Some thoughts for you - you could get a tube of liver paste / squeeze cheese / or a syringe with some tasty bone broth in it or have a Google for Fur Boost, which is basically meaty flavoured water. You can reward with tiny licks or squeezes of that without maxing out loads of calories if you’re trying to keep her trim.

I love the “tidy up” game for working that brain. My dog loves it. You can play it in a v low energy, low movement way for now but when she’s back on her feet, it can be high energy game. Basically it’s clicker shaping her dropping a toy / balled up sock or similar into a washing up bowl. Once she’s cracked that, you can do multiple items and get her moving around a bit more when she’s allowed. It will get her thinking and hopefully tired!

if you join this Facebook group and search for “Easter egg” there is a video on there of how to teach it. Or there will be loads of clicker shaping techniques on YouTube.